


As Though Reality Is Fading Away

by flowerbedofsouls



Series: Tumblr Prompts [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, M/M, Tumblr Ask Box Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-15
Updated: 2017-03-15
Packaged: 2018-10-05 08:43:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10302689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flowerbedofsouls/pseuds/flowerbedofsouls
Summary: ”Where are you? It’s been five hours?!”“I’m right here,” Harry says, his voice a bit hoarse. “Draco—please, sit back down.”“It’s been five hours, where have you been?”Harry tries to smile but it comes as a grimace. He swallows thickly. “I’ve been right here, Draco.”





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [secondhandsunlight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/secondhandsunlight/gifts).



> I asked people to send me a ship and a sentence. You can do the same. Send me your own angst opening lines or [send me one (or more) of these](http://isaksqueaks.tumblr.com/post/158406632216/some-angst-openingslines). Please send them on my Tumblr so I have easy access to all prompts.
> 
> [Read it on Tumblr](http://isaksqueaks.tumblr.com/post/158413233221/drarry-and-where-are-youits-been-5-hours).

”Where are you? It’s been five hours?!”

 

“I’m right here,” Harry says, his voice a bit hoarse. “Draco—please, sit back down.”

 

“It’s been five hours, where have you been?”

 

Harry tries to smile but it comes as a grimace. He swallows thickly. “I’ve been right here, Draco.”

 

“I’ve been here the whole time, _Potter_ , I’d say I know if you’ve been ‘right here’,” Draco spits out. “Where is here anyway?” he asks, and looks around.

 

He finds himself in what seems to be a hospital bed. Harry is seated on a chair right beside him and they seem to have a room for themselves.

 

Harry sighs, and rubs his face. Draco notices that Harry’s grown a stubble. He also notices, with quite the distaste, that Harry’s hair seems to be unwashed.

 

“You’re at St. Mungos, Draco,” Harry explains tiredly, and for some reason, Draco feels as though this isn’t the first time. “There was this… accident.”

 

“Accident?” Draco repeats, whipping his head to look at Harry more intently. “What do you mean with ‘accident’?”

 

“Some—uh— _people_ found you when you were on your way to the Ministry. They did something. And it’s—not looking very good,” Harry says, dodging the question a bit. At Draco’s hard stare, he puffs out some air and says, “they attacked you, we don’t know what they did, but you seem to have some sort of amnesia according to the Healers.”

 

“Amnesia?” Draco echoes and looks at the door leading out from the room.

 

_Greek. A-mnesis. Without memory._

  
His heart stops for a moment.

 

_I’ve been right here, Draco._

 

“How—how long ago was this?” Draco asks, not completely certain he wants to know.

 

Harry hesitates for a second. “It’s been five days, now.”

 

“You’ve been here all the time?”

 

“Yeah,” Harry affirms softly. “Er—your parents have been visiting as well.”

 

Draco tenses. “Are they—where are they now?”

 

Harry hums. “I’d reckon they’re researching. The Healers are at loss of what to do.”

 

Draco’s eyes narrow slowly. “What are _you_ doing here?”

 

“What _I’m_ doing here?” Harry repeats, rather gobsmacked. “Draco, I can’t—I can’t leave you.”

 

Draco rolls his eyes. “I don’t mean leave me entirely. I mean get your department out there and find the idiots who attacked me.”

 

A dry laugh escapes Harry’s lips. “You don’t think they’re out there looking right now? Ron’s leading them. I can’t leave you.”

 

“You’re trusting your weasel with this?” Draco deadpans with a snarl. “Potter, you’re stupider than you look. And you keep saying that you can’t leave me. Can’t or you won’t?”

 

Harry looks stricken. “Do you remember that you asked me where I’ve been the last five hours?”

 

Draco closes his eyes slowly. “I’m not going to like this?”

 

“No. No, you’re not.”

 

“Tell me,” Draco demands, looking up at Harry again.

 

“I got stuck at the Ministry,” Harry begins slowly. The words seem to leave a bitter taste in his mouth. “I can’t tell you the details, but there had been a security breach. Because of this, I was… _unable_ to tell you I’d be late.”

 

Harry stops for a moment, to see if Draco understands. At Draco’s nod, he continues.

 

“We had—we had fought the night before that. I think you remember?”

 

Draco frowns as he tries to remember.

 

_“You’re working late shifts and spend an awful lot of time away from me, don’t you think?”_

 

_“Draco—I’m not cheating on you, if that’s what you think.”_

 

He nods slowly. “Yeah, I remember.”

 

“So, you sent a Howler to me. I didn’t get it until I was informed about your—er—situation and the security measures that had been taken that day were down.”

 

“But I don’t remember sending you that Howler,” Draco says, vaguely confused. "I remember that I got frustrated and wanted to give you a piece of my mind.”

 

Harry snorts. “I know. You sent me a Howler and then you probably decided you wanted to catch me in whatever devious action your mind had made up.”

 

A sad smile plays on Draco’s lips. “Sounds like me.”

 

Harry smiles back before his face turn grey again. “And then you got attacked. We think that—well, the Healers do—whatever they did affected your memory from the point where you decided to write that Howler. Every time you forget what’s happened, you say the same words. ‘ _Where are you? It’s been five hours_ ,’” Harry says sadly.

 

“What’s Granger doing? Is she—could you ask her to help?”

 

Harry snorts again. “She’s been spending more time than I can imagine on researching this. She’s ploughing through the Black Library and exchange key information with your parents via the Floo.”

 

Draco feels a bit touched. “Remind me that I’m in her debt when they find the cure.”

 

At those words, Harry seems conflicted.

 

“What?” Draco asks sharply.

 

Harry sighs. “It’s been five days, Draco,” he reminds him. “We’re not sure _if_ we’ll find a cure.”

 

“But—but I can’t live like this,” Draco tells him, panic rising in his chest. “Harry, I can’t live like this!”

 

“Shh, I know,” Harry says, grabbing Draco’s hand to hold him still. “I know that, love.”

 

“If they don’t find a cure—promise me that I’ll die, okay?” Draco begs. “It’s not _fair_. I can’t live in a loop—and you can’t wither away sitting on that chair from dusk to dawn!”

 

“I know, I know,” Harry mumbles, squeezing Draco’s hand gently. “It’s alright. I—I know _you_ , Draco. I know what you want and what you need.”

 

“For—for how long do I remember?” Draco asks tentatively. “Before—before it resets?”

 

That’s when Draco notices it.

 

Harry is crying.

 

Teardrops fall from his dark eyelashes, leaving a glimmering trail on his dark cheeks.

 

He can count on his one hand the amount of times he has seen Harry cry, and he is always surprised by the silence of it.

 

His stomach churns in flaring anger towards the Dursleys. Harry rarely shared his experiences, but Draco is by no means stupid. He can put two and two together and figure out that crying isn’t something that Harry was allowed to do.

 

“—Harry?” he asks, softly. “How long?”

 

“It’s just a few minutes. It’s not even half an hour,” Harry mumbles and wipes his face on his sleeve. Draco wants to chide him for the action, but holds back his tongue. “It’s not enough, Draco. I _love_ you. I don’t want to lose you this way.”

 

Draco wants to tell him that he loves him too, but a sudden grip of panic hooks his soul as he feels as though reality is fading away.

 

Was it all a dream?

 

No, it can’t be. He knows how to control his dreams but he can’t control _this_.

 

He squeezes Harry’s hand, tries to feel their skin touch but it’s slipping away.

 

Why is Harry so far away? Why does everything feel so out of place?

  
Where _is_ Harry, anyway? He definitely should be home right now.

 

He should have _known_ not to trust anyone.

 

“Where are you?” he asks. “It’s been five hours?!”

**Author's Note:**

> [My Twitter](https://twitter.com/raresora) & [My Tumblr](http://isaksqueaks.tumblr.com).


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